city finals 228

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SoCalHoops High School News

LA City Section Finals Set: Fairfax Beats
Westchester, Manual Arts Beats Crenshaw--(Feb. 28, 1999)

Unbelievably, we saw most of both of these games last night. Well, we saw all of the Fairfax v. Westchester game, and then we jammed over to LA Southwest College where we finagled our way through a locked gate, a phalnx of policemen and several security guards into a sold-out LASW College gym, for the entire second half of the Manual v. Crenshaw game. What an evening. Oh, and we saw just a ton of Rockfish Spring League games, and the UCLA game. For some it was basketball heaven, and for those who lost yesterday, it was basketball hell.

Joe Shipp is the man. Regardless of who wins the City Championship this year, Shipp deserves the City Section Player of the Year Award. He clearly had the best season of anyone, notwithstanding some pretty impressive individual performances in the early and mid-season by Gilbert Arenas. But others like Gil, had good, even some much better than average season, but no one had a season like Joe Shipp, who averaged close to 26 points per game and played consistently well throughout the season, leading Fairfax over Manual in Manual's only loss of the regular season to any other City team. Sure, James Wright is playing exceptionally well, but Joe is playing just that much better. At least that's our opinion.

At 7:00 p.m. at Loyola Marymount University, Fairfax took on Westchester before a packed but not sold out house. We'll get right to the point: Fairfax won, but not before seeing a 16 point lead shrivel up in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, as Westchester took the more dominant Lions to the brink and ultimately to overtime before the Comets finally ran out of gas, and out of points, losing 72-68. And Westchester managed to get to overtime in the most improbable way. Westchester overcame a 29-22 halftime deficit to tie the score, 56-56, at the end of regulation. Fairfax missed two shots before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime. After squandering several chances to take the lead with blown layups, improvident outside shots, and turnovers, Westchester had the ball with just 3 seconds left on the clock. They were down by 4, after Jason Morrissette had made two free throws, and so a mere three-pointer wouldn't be enough.The ball is swung over to Lou Wright, who had hit about four other threes, and who is the designated three-point specialist. Lou lets one fly from way above the top of the key at the three-point line, and unbelievably, not only does it go in, but Stanley Thorne, Fairfax's diminutive but fast point guard fouls Lou. Apparently something also set off the normally imperturbable Eric Knight, and the refs have to separate Eric and Stanley from one another. Finally Lou goes to the line, makes the free throw, tying the game, and sending it to overtime.

In the overtime period, Westchester appeared to have the upper hand, scoring the first two baskets, but then Chris Osborne, who had effectively dominated the paint in the final four minutes of regulation, recieved his fifth foul and left the game, ending his high-school career on what seemed like a high note. But Fairfax wasn't done, and between Jason Morrissette's free-throw shooting in the overtime, and Joe Shipp's great play, the Lions were simply too much, and they defeated the defending State and City Division I Champions. The king is dead. Long live the king. Shipp scored 31 points, including nine in overtime. Fairfax, which last won the City title in 1987, earned its first trip to the championship game since 1995. Fairfax made seven free throws in overtime. Shipp, who also had 13 rebounds, made four of the free throws in the extra period. Jason Morrisette added 13 points for Fairfax. Chris Osborne had 17 points, Eric Knight 14 and Lou Wright 13 for Westchester.

We didn't have time to stick around to get all the final stats in this game and the above stats are from the LA Times. Right at the final buzzer, we had just enough time to jump into our car right outside the doorway of the gym, jump over to Jefferson Blvd., where we broke several California Vehicle Code Sections, including several prohibitions on speeding, safe lane changes, and the like, but applying the "California Basic Speed Law" (which provides that it's acceptable to exceed the speed limit when everyone else is too, and it would be unsafe to drive the posted limit), we managed to jump onto the 405, then over to the 405 and make it to LA Southwest College before the second half got underway in the Manual v. Crenshaw game.

And again, we'll get right to the point of that one: Manual Arts held off a late charge by Crenshaw to win, 80-78. Crenshaw finished 26-6. Johnny Hardwick made three of four free throws and scored five of his 14 points in the final 1 minute 30 seconds to help seal the victory for the Toilers, who lost to Westchester in the championship game last season.

The LA Times had a quote from Randolph Simpson: "Johnny played the game of his life," Manual Arts Coach Randolph Simpson said of his 6-foot-10 senior center, who also had 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. But in our view, it was Manual Arts point guard Long Beach State-signee James Wright, who played the better game, and he finished with 18 points and seven assists and Brandon Moorer finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Toilers built a 14-point lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

We were sitting next to Jason Day, who's photographer buddy Larry Gray was also taking pictures, and all Larry could say, in that last 4 minutes of the game was "It's not over yet. . . It never is with Crenshaw until it's over." And apparently Larry had it right: Junior forward Tommy Johnson (23 points) and guards Jonathan Stokes (15 points) and E.J. Harris (12 points) keyed a 14-1 run over a three-minute span that pulled Crenshaw to within, 72-71,
with 1:45 remaining. But Stokes' layup to culminate the run was the final field goal Crenshaw would make and the rally came up two points shy after
Lloyd Brewer made a three-pointer as time expired.

We did manage to get the final stats: For Manual: Wright 18, Moorer 20, Millage 9, Hardwick 11, Cass 9, Mario Roberts 8; Crenshaw 15, E.J. Harris 12, Tommy Johnson 23, Gary Looney 2, Lloyd Brewer 7, Dewayne Parker 8, Ryan Sims 8, Daramola 2.

And in the Divison Championship, Jefferson beat Hollywood and Poly beat North Hollywood, and so the final will be Jefferson v. Poly. Here's the lines on the Division games:

Jefferson 73, Hollywood 64--Center Malcolm Overton scored 21 points for the Democrats in the City Division semifinal at Loyola.

Poly 52, North Hollywood 45--Sef Vargas scored 19 points and had 11 assists and made four free throws in the final minute to seal the Division victory at Southwest College.